Firearm bolt-striker assembly including a bolt handle and power spring



July 22, 1969 J. A. BADALI E AL FIREARM BOLT-STRIKER ASSEMBLY INCLUDING A BOLT HANDLE AND POWER SPRING Original Filed March 8, 1967 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 INVENTORS JOSEPH ABADAL/ VICTOR A. KUL/KOWSK/ EDWIN S VARTAN/AN ATTORNEY July 1969 J. A. BADALI ET AL 3,456,375

FIREARM BOLT-STRIKER ASSEMBLY INCLUDING 3 A BOLT HANDLE AND POWER SPRING Original Filed March 8, 1967 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTORSJ JOSEPH A. BADAL/ VICTOR A. KUL/KOWSK/ EDW/N S VARTA N/AN K/JM ATTORNEY U.S. C]. 42-16 3 Claims ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE A bolt-striker assembly including a tubular bolt having a bore which receives a striker having a striker head. The bolt is formed with a side aperture which receives a bolt handle having a transverse bore in the end of the bolt handle projecting into the interior of the bolt with the striker extending through the bore. A power spring is carried by the striker and is retained under compression by abutment at one end with the striker head at the opposite end with the bolt handle.

This application is a division of copending application Ser. No. 636,787, filed Mar. 8, 1967, now U.S. Patent 3,387,400, issued June 11, 1968.

A particular feature of the invention is the provision of a bolt action firearm having a settable safety which is automatically set to the on position by ordinary operation of the bolt from the closed position to the open position where the safety remains in the on position after subsequent operation of the bolt to the closed position and the safety must be set manually to the off position before firing 'is possible.

A bolt action firearm embracing certain principles of the invention may comprise a bolt-striker assembly of the type where the striker is movable relative to the bolt from a firing position to a safe cocked position by cam action between the bolt and the striker, a strap having a cam follower movably mounted on the bolt, said strap making a lost motion connection with the bolt, a cooperating cam face formed on the striker handle means on the bolt engageable with said strap operable to move from a first position corresponding to a closed bolt position to a second position corresponding to an open bolt position effective to drive the strap and its cam follower relative to said cam face to move the striker from a firing position to said safe cocked position, said handle means being operable, by virtue of said lost motion, to return to said first position without disturbing the safe cocked position of the striker.

Other features and advantages of the present invention will become more apparent from an examination of the succeeding specification when considered in conjunction with the drawings, in which:

FIG. 1 is a sectional view of a bolt action firearm embodying the invention;

FIG. 2 is an exploded view of the bolbstriker assembly of FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a sectional view of FIG. 1 as viewed in the plane of line 33; and

FIG. 4 is a view of a portion of FIG. 1 showing the bolt strap in the off position and the bolt handle in the closed position.

Referring now in detail to the drawings, the reference numeral denotes a receiver within which there is slidably mounted a bolt 11 having a head 12, extractor 13 and bolt handle 14.

3,456,375 Patented July 22, 1969 The bolt is fitted with a safety defining a strap or sleeve indicated generally by the reference numeral 16 and includes an operating tab 17, an elongated opening or slot 18 and cam follower 19.

The strap 16 is positioned by snap ring 21 and is rotatable to and fro relative to the bolt within limits defined by the ends 22 and 23 of the slot as they abut opposite sides of bolt handle 14.

As is most apparent in FIG. 2, the bolt 11 amounts to a piece of tubing having a bore 24 operative to receive striker rod 26 formed at one end with a working head 27 and at the opposite end with a searing head 28.

In assembly, the bolt handle 14 is received through slot 18 of strap 16 and projects into the interior of bolt 11 through aperture 29. The handle 14 is held in position by striker rod 26 received within transverse bore 31 of the bolt handle. Coil spring 32, retained under compressive stress, abuts working head 27 at one end and seats against the bolt handle as at 33 at the opposite end.

In well known fashion, coil spring 32 is operative to urge striker rod 26 relative to bolt 12 to effect firing.

As is apparent in FIGS. 1 and 3, the bolt handle 14 is movable from a first position defining a locked bolt position (as represented in dotted lines in FIG. 3) to a second position, (solid line position in FIG. 3) defining an open bolt position operative to drive strap 16 including its cam follower 19 relative to cam face 34 formed on searing head 28 by virtue of the driving connection between slot end 23 and bolt handle 14.

As a result of this occurrence, the striker 26 including searing head 28 is driven to the left as viewed in FIG. 1 relative to bolt 11 against coil spring 32 with the result that the striker 26 is moved from a firing position, illustrated in FIG. 4, to a safe cocked position, illustrated in FIG. 1. In the safe cocked position the tip of cam follower 19 engages a notch 36.

The feature to note is that the elongated slot 18 formed in the strap effects a lost motion connection between the bolt handle 14 and the strap so that the bolt handle 14 may be returned to its first or closed position Without disturbing the safe cocked position of the striker 26 With the camp follower 19 set in notch 36, coil spring 32 generates frictional resistance precluding relative motion between strap 16 and searing head 28.

Thus, it is apparent that although the bolt 11 and its handle 14 are rotated to the locked position with a round chambered ready for firing, it is impossible to operate the firearm to discharge the round unless and until the strap 16 is moved manually by grasping operating tab 17 and rotating the strap from the solid line position in FIG. 3 to the dotted line position thereof.

For the purposes of subsequently claiming the invention, the strap 16 may be referred to as a safety settable automatically to the on position by operation of the bolt in moving from its first or closed position to its second or open position and settable manually to the off position by grasping operating tab 17 and rotating it in the fashion shown in FIG. 3.

As is most apparent in FIGS. 1 and 3, searing head 28, threadedly connected to striker rod 26 and retained by a spring clip 42, is formed with a sear lug 43 operative to sear upon a corresponding lug 44 of sear 37. Sear 37 is pivotally mounted to the receiver 10 as at 38 and carries a trigger 39 pivotally mounted as at 41.

When safetly or strap 16 is moved manually to the off position previously described, striker rod 26 moves to the right slightly, as viewed in FIG. 1, causing lug 43 to sear up on mating sear lug 44 effective to place striker 26 and its accompanying searing head 28 in cocked ready to fire position.

In this condition, manipulation of the trigger in the direction shown in FIG. 1 is effective to rotate the left end of sear 37 downwardly clearing sear lug 43 to permit spring 32 to drive striker rod 26 to the right to elfect firing in the usual fashion.

It is anticipated that a number of embodiments or modifications may be devised in the present invention without departing from the spirit and scope thereof. What is claimed is:

1. In a bolt-striker assembly, the improvement comprising: a tubular bolt having a bore therein and including a bolt head at one end thereof, a striker received within said bore and including a striker head at its end closer to said bolt head, said bolt being formed with a side aperture, a bolt handle having one end extending through said side aperture into the interior of said bolt and having a transverse bore therein, said striker exextending through said transverse bore in said one end of said bolt handle, a power spring carried by said striker and retained under compression by abutment at one end with said striker head and at the opposite end with said bolt handle.

2. The assembly of claim 1 further including a searing head at the other end of said striker, a cam face on said searing head, and cam means on said bolt for engaging said cam face to move said striker relative to said bolt in a direction to compress said power spring upon relative rotation between said cam means and said cam face.

3. The assembly of claim 2 further including a sear lug on said searing head.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,140,715 5/1915 Purcell 42-16 1,349,675 8/1920 Johnson 42-16 2,085,812 7/1937 Loomis 42-16 2,900,877 8/ 1959 McClena'han 42-16 3,191,331 6/1965 Hurley 4216 BENJAMIN A. BORCHELT, Primary Examiner 

